trost



w. A. most.

DOLL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 1915.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

WILLIAM A. TROST, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

DOLL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

Application filed April 15, 1915. Serial No. 21,495.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. Tnos'r, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of the city of Seattle, in the county of Kingand State of Washington, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Dolls, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in dolls whereby the opening andclosing movement of the eyes is controlled so as to produce a gradualclosing movement simulating the natural sleepiness of a child.

The object of my invention is to produce this natural character of theeye movement in going to sleep thus making the same more attractive to achild.

The scope of my invention will be defined by the claims terminating thisspecification.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention embodied in theform of construction which is now most preferred by me. I am howeveraware that modifications of this structure may be employed which willsecure substantially the same results. I do not therefore, desire to beunderstood as limiting my invention to the specific structureillustrated.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation through a dolls head, fromfront to rear, showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a similarsection showing the dolls head in recumbent position and the parts inthe position corresponding therewith. Fig. 3 shows in perspective theprincipal parts of my novel invention. Fig. 4 is a transverse .sectionthrough the weight container taken on the line of its transverse pivotalsuport. p The common construction of dolls which simulate waking andsleeping, is such that the eyes open and close upon placing the doll inerect or recumbent position, this action being sudden and taking placeimme diately upon placing the doll in corresponding position. A child ingoing to sleep gradually becomes drowsy and closes its eyes by degrees,the complete closing of the eyes following some time after lying down.It is a principal object of my invention to delay the time of closingthe eyes upon placing the doll in a recumbent position and also to makethe closing action slow and gradual. The mechanism-herein illustrated bywhich this is accomplished, is as follows: In the drawings I haveillustrated merely the part of a dolls head which is usually made ofglass or similar material, without making any effort to show the body orthe hair, such heads as usually constructed are hollow and have anopening in the top which is covered by the fabric upon which the hair issecured. The eyes and the method of mounting shown is that which is mostgenerally used, the eyes 2 being mounted upon the ends of a bar 20, thewhole being pivoted upon a horizontal axis. To the connecting portion 20an arm is commonly secured and the opening and closing movement of theeyes is secured by a weight carried by the end of such rod.

The above construction is or may be employed by me in carrying out myinvention, except that the weight upon the end of the rod is omitted.The rod 22 is also preferably extended in a slightly differentdirection. Stops 10 and 11 are also provided, to limit the movement,these being analogous to those employed in the old movement.

As a substitute for the weights employed in the old movement, I providea container 3 which is mounted to have movement within the dolls head ina general direction of the axis of the body. The container 3 which actsas the weight by which the eyes are controlled, is mounted to move uponguides having an inclination to the horizontal when the doll is inrecumbent position. This inclination is not suliicient to cause movementof the container unless it is agitated, as would be done by a childattempting to rock the doll to sleep.

In the construction shown the container is provided with a pivot axis 4located at approximately the middle of its length. The ends of this axisproject and are supported in guides 53 formed in the upper edges ofupturned wings 52 which form an integral part of the metal frame 5. Theposition of these guideways 53 would be such that they would have aslight inclination with the horizontal when the doll is in recumbentposition. This inclination would not be sufficient to cause a freesliding movement of the axis 4 down the ways without agitation of thedoll, such for instance, as would be produced by rocking the same; or insome other equivalent manner resistance should be provided against themovement of the container in the direction which would close the eyes,whereby. this movement would be a slow and gradual movement.

Within the container is provided a granular or finely divided weightmass 30, herein shown as shot, which will roll toward whichever end ofthe container is lowermost. Within the container is also placed a valveor hinged partition 40, this being hinged upon the pivot axis 4 to havea limited swing. A stop 42 may be used to limit the swing in onedirection, while contact with the sides limits the swing in the otherdirection.

The side of the partition or gate 40 which is lowermost when the doll isin recumbent position, is cut away as shown at 41, or otherwise madediscontinuous so as to provide restricted openings through which theshot may gradually flow. The size of these openings and the size of theshot should be so proportioned that the shot will be liable to bridge inthe o enings and thus entirely stop the flow, until the bridge is brokenby the shaking of the doll. In this way the closing of the dolls eyeswill not occur by simply laying the doll down, but only after suflicientshaking to produce a movement such as will break the bridge and causethe shot to flow to the other end.

The position of the parts when the eyes are open is shown in Fig. l.'This position is one in which a pin 31 which projects downward upon theend which is downward in this position of the doll, will, when the dollis placed in recumbent position, fall into a groove 50, formed in theframe and will act as a catch to retard the movement of the containertoward its opposite position.

The first result of the flow of shot toward the opposite end-of thecontainer, is to tilt it so as to raise the end which carries the pin31, so as to lift this pin out of the groove 50. A second catch 51 maybe provided adjacent to the groove 50, by making a slight crimp in themetal. This catch may me made to engage the pin 31 to additionallyretard the downward sliding movement of the container 3. In thiscondition the container is supported by its pivot axis in what is, inthis position, the upper end of the inclined guideways 53. The oppositeend of the container has a downwardly projecting pin 32 which contactswith the frame and which enters a sinuous groove 57 which is formed inthis sliding movement of the container, except as this is assisted by aslight shaking movement, such as would be produced by rocking the doll.

The container 3 is connected with the eyes to actuate them by a link 23which is secured to an eye 24 carried by the container and to the end ofthe arm 22. When the doll is changed from a recumbent to an uprightposition, the shot will move without interference to the opposite end ofthe container, for the reason that the gate or valve 40 will swingfreely in this direction and offer no-resistance to the passage of theshot. The fact that the inclination of the guideways 53, approach nearlyto the vertical in this position, insures that the weight of thecontainer is ample to quickly overcome all resistance to its movement.In consequence the opening movement of the eye occurs quickly andwithout delay, as occurs when a child wakes up.

To secure the device in place I provide the inner end of the frame witha pin or pins, as 56, which penetrate or engage thebody of the doll andin addition, provide arms 55 which may be bent so as to engage the innerwall of the neck, and other arms 54 which may be made to engage theinner surface of the head just inside the opening therein.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States of America 1s:

1. The combination with a .dolls head having eyes movable into open andclosed position, of an eye opening and closing mechanism comprising aweight mass actuatively connected to the eye, said mass being positionedto move bodily by gravity to close the eyes when the doll is inrecumbent position, and frictional means acting to restrain said motion.

2. The combination with a dolls head having eyes movable into open andclosed position, of 4 an eye opening and closing mechanism comprising aweight mass actuatively connected to the eye, said mass being positionedto move bodily by gravity when the doll is in recumbent position,self-contained means acting to restrain said mass,

and additional frictional means acting to restrain said motion.

3. The combination with a dolls head having ,eyes movable into open andclosed position, of an eye opening and closing mechanism comprising aweight mass actuatively connected to the eye, said mass being positionedto move bodily by gravity to close ing to hold said mass in eye-openposition,

said catch being releasable by agitation of the doll when in recumbentposition.

5. The combination with a dolls head having eyes movable into open andclosed position, of an eye opening and closing mechanism comprising aweight-mass actuatively connected to the eye, said mass being positionedto move bodily by gravity to close the eyes when the doll is inrecumbent position, and frictional means acting to restrain said motion,said means being active throughout the eye-closing movement, a catchacting to hold said mass in eye-open position, a supplementary catchadapted to hold the mass in partly-eye-closed position, said catchesbeing releasable by continuous agitation of the doll when in recumbentposition.

6. A means for actuating eye-opening and closing means in a doll,comprising a container having actuative connection with the eye openingand closing mechanism, a finely divided Weight mass within saidcontainer, and means limiting'the movement of said weight mass in onedirection to a trickling action.

7. An eye actuating means for dolls comprising a tubular container,means connecting said container with the eyes to actuate them, a finelydivided Weight mass Within and movable from one end to the'other end ofsaid container, and a gate in said container limiting the flow sectionavailable for the passage of said weight mass.

8. A means for actuating eye-opening and closing means in a doll,comprising a weight and a guiding support therefor extending in adirection which is moderately inclined to the horizontal when the dollis in recumbent position, said inclination being insufiicient to inducethe transfer of the weight along the guiding support without agitation,and means for producing a frictional resistance to make the eye-closingmovement gradual.

9. A means for actuating eye-opening and closing means in a doll,comprising a weight and a guiding support therefor extending in adirection which is moderately inclined to the horizontal when the dollisin recumbent position, said inclination being insuflicient to inducethe transfer of the weight along the guiding support without agitation,a catch for holding said mechanism in eyeopen position, said catch beingreleasable by continued agitation of the doll when in recumbentposition.

10. A means for actuating eye-opening and closing means in a doll,comprising a weight and a guiding support therefor extending in adirection which is moderately inclined to the horizontal when the dollis in recumbent position, said inclination being insuflicient to inducethe transfer of the weight along the guiding support without agitation,a catch for holding said mechanism in eye-open position, a supplementarycatch adapted to hold the mechanism. in partly-eye-closed position, bothsaid catches being releasable by continued agitation of the doll when inrecumbent position.

11. A means for actuating eye-opening and closing means in a doll,comprising a tiltable weight and a guiding support therefor extending ina direction which is moderately .inclined to the horizontal when thedoll is in'recumbent position, said inclination being insufficient toinduce the transfer of said weight along the guiding support withoutagitation, a pin secured in one endof said Weight, and a catchpositionedto engage said pin to hold the mechanism in eye-open position, said pinbeing releasable from the catch by the tilting of said weight, caused bycontinued agitation when the doll is in recumbent position.

12. A means for actuating eye-opening and closing means in a doll,comprising a tiltable weight and a guiding support therefor extending ina direction which is moderately inclined tov the horizontal when thedoll is in recumbent position, said inclination being insuflicient toinduce the transfer of said weight along the guiding support withoutagitation, a pin secured in one end of said weight, and a catchpositioned to engage said pin to hold the mechanism in eye-openposition, and an auxiliary catch engageable by said pin to hold the eyesin partly-closed position, said pin being releasable from both saidcatches by the tilting of said weight caused by continued agitation whenthe doll is in recumbent position.

13. A means for actuating eye-opening and closing means in a doll,comprising a tiltable weight and a guiding support therefor extending ina direction which is moderately inclined to the horizontal when the dollis in recumbent position, said inclination being insufiicient to inducethe transfer of said weight along the guiding support Without agitation,a pin secured in one end of said Weight, and a catch positioned toengage said pin to hold the mechanism in eye-open position, said pinbeing releasable from the catch by the tilting of said Weight, caused bycontinued agitation When the doll is in recumbent position,- a pin inthe other end of said Weight, and a sinuous groove engageable by saidlatter pin after the weight has been tilted to retard the operation ofthe mechanism.

Signed at Seattle, \Vashington this 10th day of April 1915.

WM. A. TROST.

